Visitor FAQ |

For visitors from most countries, a visa can be purchased at immigration in Entebbe for $50 in crisp US currency dated 2009 or newer. Please refer to your country’s embassy for the most up-to-date information on visa requirements.

It is not necessary to bring gifts for your Ugandan colleagues but some visitors bring something small as a token of appreciation. If you would like to bring something, common gifts for leadership include pens, portfolio folders and any home-institution branded items. Small chocolate candies are always a hit for research staff or larger meetings.

Medications: There are pharmacies in Mbarara, which sell some of these items, but the quality can be substandard and there are often stock outs. It is recommended that you bring your own personal prescription medications in addition to items such as: ibuprofen, Tylenol, cold relief medicine, Benadryl, antibiotic ointment, metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, anti-malarials, coartem, antifungal cream, Band-Aids/first aid kit and medical gloves

You are bound to make a few mistakes while you are here but we have a few pointers.

Take some time for small talk at the start of meetings. It is considered rude to jump right to business.

Listen more, talk less. Dr. David Bangsberg often suggests counting your words during meetings. After 15 minutes, if your word count is ahead of your Ugandan colleagues’, you need to listen more. The highest compliment a Ugandan can pay you is saying, “you are a good listener”.

Remember that you are a guest. Try to avoid statements that start with, “In the US…” and avoid comparing the hospital to your home institution.

Especially during your first visit, it is important to listen to our hosts’ thoughts, concerns and needs without making promises of a future partnership or ways you can help. This raises expectations that may not come to fruition. Under-promise and over-deliver.

Ask open ended questions and wait for a response. There will be an uncomfortable silence and many North Americans/Europeans do not wait long enough for a response. If you wait long enough, you will be rewarded. Someone will speak up and others will follow with insights you had not considered. Just wait.

On average, Ugandans dress quite formally. Men often wear nice trousers and button down shirts with ties, both in and outside of the office. Women traditionally wear dresses or skirts (that hit their knees or below) but this is becoming more relaxed with the younger generations. Shorts are typically not worn by either gender.

While it is tempting to dress more casually to appear relaxed and non-threatening, this may be interpreted as disrespectful by our hosts. Please dress formally around the hospital and university settings.

Men should wear dress shoes, slacks and a pressed shirt. For meetings with leadership, please wear a tie and/or a suit coat. Women should wear business dresses or skirts that hit your knee or below. It is acceptable to show your shoulders but they should be covered with a sweater or suit coat for meetings with leadership. It is becoming more popular for Ugandan women to wear pants but for important meetings, dresses/skirts are better. Please wear close-toed shoes. Of note: heels are sometimes difficult to manage as the roads and walkways are uneven.

It is not uncommon for meetings to start a bit late. However, it is important that you show up at your designated meeting time. For meetings with the MUST leadership, please arrive at least 10-15 minutes early as these meetings often run ahead of schedule.

For more information about starting a research project in Mbarara, please see our Research Primer (hyperlink). For general subcontracting questions, contact Peggy Bartek and for human subjects questions, contact Rachel Rifkin.

For the most part, you should follow the guidelines above even when you are outside of the university and hospital. It is common to see colleagues in town and it is best to look professional. You represent your home hospital, the Center for Global Health/Global Health Collaborative, and MUST.

For personal travel (i.e., on safari, Lake Bunyoni, etc) it is acceptable to wear what you would typically wear on vacation. Shorts, bathing suits and tank tops are all acceptable during personal trips to tourist locations.

The Global Health Collaborative takes the safety and security of our staff and guests very seriously. There are a number of protocols and general and specific recommendations that can be found in our security briefings. Please take some time to review these documents here (insert hyperlink).

You can get a typical Ugandan meal for about 3,000-5,000 UGX (2500 UGX = approximately $1 USD) and includes items such as: beef stew, matooke, potatoes, posho, millet bread and chapatti. Restaurants in town, such as Café Ark, City Top, Agip, sell local and international food between 10,000-30,000 UGX.

If you are staying at the MGH Guesthouse, it is about a 10-15 minute walk to the main university and hospital campuses. If you need to travel further distances or carry large items, it is recommended that you contact a private hire driver such as Peter or Henry to transport you around town (see contact list). A basic ride around town costs about 15,000-30,000 UGX. These drivers are also available throughout the night. Please note that Mass General does not have cars available for personal transportation needs so please plan ahead and call a private hire driver if you are in need of transportation. As a visitor, you are prohibited from riding a boda-boda motorcycles and walking at night. These rules are in place for your own safety.

For transport outside of Mbarara, please contact Moses Tours and Taxis or Peter Nyombi, both trusted private hire drivers. They are able to make reservations on your behalf at hotels in Entebbe as well as tourist resorts throughout Uganda. They both have suitable cars/vans for rough roads and you can either pay in cash or a wire transfer.

Each of the eight self-contained bedrooms at the MGH Guesthouse comes with clean linen and towels upon arrival. There is a hot water tank in each bathroom (please note we are unable to heat the water if the power is off) and a closet and shelves for your belongings. The Guesthouse has wireless access and a backup generator. Pauline, the Guesthouse manager, is on site at all times and cooks breakfast each morning at no additional cost. For a nominal fee, she will also do your laundry and ironing. Unless you have contracted with Pauline to help cater a meal, please clean and put away your dishes and clean the kitchen after cooking.

Please do not drink the tap water or use it for brushing your teeth. The MGH Guesthouse has a bottled water cooler on the ground floor for your use. Water provided in the pitcher in your room is drawn from the water cooler and is suitable for drinking.

Although Mbarara is very near the equator, the temperatures rarely get above 30°C/86°F as a result of being at a high altitude. Throughout the year, the average high temperature is around 26°C/79°F and the low is 14°C/57°F. There are two rainy seasons in western Uganda, from March-May and September-December. During these times, Mbarara will typically have a hard rain every afternoon. The rest of the day is usually sunny and warm. During the dry seasons, Mbarara remains at the same average temperature but it is drier and dusty. It is helpful to have an umbrella during the raining season and a fleece for the evenings.

Most of our short-term visitors prefer to use a local, inexpensive Ugandan phone while in Mbarara. It is possible to buy this phone and a local SIM card upon arrival in Mbarara. For your convenience, you can also borrow a phone from MGH Global Health Boston office for a nominal deposit. Please contact Shauna Murray to reserve a phone for pick-up.

If you prefer to use your own phone, you can either alert your cell phone company of your international travel plans (to learn their rate) or buy a local SIM card in Uganda to use in your phone. Please note, not all phones are unlocked so it may not be possible to use your own phone when traveling. Consult your provider.

If you are staying at the MGH Guesthouse, there is free wireless internet available. Some of the University offices also offer wireless service but it is uncommon.

To have more consistent access, we recommend using a data stick/modem. These can be purchased at any internet provider’s store (Orange, MTN, Airtel) and loaded with data. The MGH Guesthouse has a limited number of modems available to borrow.

Please note, Uganda experiences network problems and it is common to be unable to access the internet for varying lengths of time. During power outages, wireless networks are often unavailable.

Electricity in Uganda is 240 volts. This is the same voltage as Europe but different than the United States. Please check the voltage requirements of your personal electronics before plugging them directly into the socket. Many modern items (such as laptops and digital cameras) are compatible with the worldwide range of voltages but please double check to make sure. Conventional appliances (such as kitchen and bathroom items) are not usually compatible with multiple voltages and you will need to use a voltage converter.

This is one of the most challenging aspects of relocating to Mbarara. Before arriving, it is a good idea to book a room at the MGH Guesthouse for the first 2-4 weeks during your house search. There are local brokers in town that can take you to available properties (furnished or non-furnished) in different neighborhoods. However, this can only be done in person once you arrive. If you find a house, some are ready immediately but others will have to be renovated and this can take some time. Of note: the MGH Guesthouse will open a side house (the Annex) that has 3 separate fully- furnished apartments for long-term guests starting in February/March 2015. To inquire about the availability and cost of these apartments, please contact Shauna Murray.

Yes, there are apartments on MUST’s campus but availability is extremely limited. For more information, contact the Global Health Collaborative Program Director, Dr. Ryan Carroll, via email. Please note that the apartments are reserved for faculty and guests of MUST and it is rare to have a guest of the Collaborative stay there.

Multiple bedroom houses are typically set in their own private compound. Depending on the size of the house and the compound, typical monthly rent ranges from 500K-1.25M ($200-$500). Many larger houses have ‘boys’ quarters’ behind the main house. Some of the boys’ quarters have multiple rooms, electricity and indoor plumbing. These are often available for rent as well and range from 250K-700K. Mbarara also has a few apartment complexes in town that cost between 500K-1M.

It is highly recommended that you find a place to live with a walled compound, working and secure gate, iron bars on the windows and doors and adequate outdoor lighting. It is recommended that you have a nighttime guard who stays in the guardhouse near the gate entrance.

For the most part, everything is available in Mbarara to furnish a house. Nakumatt sells electronics and appliances such as a refrigerator, washing machine, oven, microwave, etc. They also sell items to stock your house with kitchenware, dishes, cleaning supplies, etc. Local carpenters make bed frames, nightstands, tables and chairs. Unless your house comes completely furnished, you will most likely have to buy everything for the house – even a fridge, stove, etc. Please see the list above for items that may not be as readily available in Mbarara.